Spring Cleaning Break

Just noticed I haven't posted in a week! I'm supposed to be cleaning out my sewing room, but am finding so many excuses not to... Oh well, at least my front room windows, laces & drapes are all clean! (& so is the dog, the fish tank, the bed skirt...)

I do, however, want to do the Things I'm Loving... link-up with Paisley Jade.

Today I'm loving my first rose of the year.

Loving the first jump in the pool (let-me-tell-you he jumped out twice as fast as he jumped in!)

Loving my studious son

Loving the fact that my oldest worked hard last fall to be on a football team that won the state championship. He also worked hard to earn $ to buy his ring.

What are you loving today?

Things I'm Loving

Again I'm "copy-catting" Paisley Jade, because she so rightly says,  "I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is."

So -- here are a couple snapshots of my week:

I ♥ it when I can see some Easter treasure from the past... 

I ♥ it when my husband says he prefers my ground mustard over the name brand. 


I ♥ it when my decor starts being cohesive...

I ♥ it when a friend gives me a box of wooden spools she doesn't want!

I ♥ it when boys make good breakfast choices on their own.

(He's got raw sunflower seeds, almond slivers, & rolled oats along with his milk & Craisins...)



I'll be linking to

Easter Scrapbook

hmmmmm -- things I'm loving...

Many thanks to Paisley Jade who weekly serves to remind us that "I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something that you can be thankful for... no matter how simple it is."

Here are my reminders for this week:

Who doesn't love a bubble face?

Always take time to smell the flowers...

So proud of my Zachman.

He was inducted into his high school's National Honor Society Tuesday evening.

Thinking of & praying for my sis while she visits supporters in the Northwest as she is finishing up her time in the States before she returns to Russia.

I'm linking up to

Golden Oldie "Moldy"

I do believe I'm the only crafter in blog-land who's not up-cycled our bathroom mirrors with gorgeous crown molding & such. There's a very good explanation for that: my husband & oldest son are 5'19" (do the math...) and would like to see their mugs in said bathroom mirrors.

I'm also probably the only one who hasn't "crown-molded-up" all available walls/ceilings. There's also a logical excuse for that: the architecture of our house has dust catchers plant shelves & angled/vaulted ceilings in every room of the house. (with the exception of the hall bath & master w.c.) That's way too much mitring/math calculations for me!

What's a girl to do with her in-bred pent-up desire to beautify her home with molding?

About 9 years ago I had a cobalt dilemma. I was running out of display space for some of my beautiful bottles. I also needed to craft a valance to cover my roll-up shade for the huge window over my garden tub.





I wanted it to look like an antique I just framed out...

Armed with an old board, some molding, some brackets, some DecoArt® decorating paste, some paint, a stencil & a little antiquing -- I was able to kill a couple birds in one swoop, so to speak...


(tried to get an angle to show the texture)





(And you thought I was joking about the ceilings/angles/walls...)









I'd like to think that now, after 9 years, I could do a better job with the newer tools & materials that are out there. But, I like the way it looks...

"WELCOME" pennant garlands

Sweet couple from church plan to leave Easter weekend to bring home their new son & two daughters. The bedrooms have been finished for a few months. I wanted to make a little something for each child.

Juan's new room has black furniture with cowboy accents. His quilt has a bit of bandana fabric in it. I cut me some rope & rustled up this critter:



(The pennants are backed with red flannel,)



The girls' room is pink, of course.

I threaded my big ol' doll needle with white ribbon for Angie's garland:

Tied me some pretty lil' white bows...

I made the letter appliqué and back of pennant from pink gingham:



(Ingrid's garland has pink ribbon)

Hardest part was deciding how "girlie" to make them...

new "pseudo" card

My inspiration:

I have had a picture of this art piece for months. (Now I can't find where I credited the artist, whoever she is -- MY BAD!) I've wanted to do something like it for friends who are going to Columbia in a couple weeks to finalize the adoption of their children.

Not having readily available canvas or stamps or steady hand for lettering this weekend, I did the next best thing for me: I went digital & went small (as in greeting card small...)

My base was this image of antique torn paper from *the Graphics Fairy*. On it I applied the words "I love you" in a handwritten font called jellyka western princess regular.

On my vellum over-lay I printed parts of Ephesians 1: 4, 5.

After I trimmed the edges, I sewed the vellum & scrap of crochet lace to the card.

In searching for "bling" I came across something I've had for over a dozen years. They are tiny brass personalization letters for a key carrier I bought the hubs.

They fit (with a bit of trimming) onto the heads of the heart-shaped brads I had.



(First initial of each child...)



Aaaaaaaand -- we're finished.

(Planning to link this up with *The Graphics Fairy* 's Brag Monday...)